Spokenly vs Whisper Notes (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Spokenly grades higher than Whisper Notes: 3.0 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Spokenly grades higher on the free plan, features and platforms. Whisper Notes grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Spokenly
Dictation app with free local models and optional cloud accuracy
Whisper Notes
Offline transcription for iPhone and Mac, bought once
Which one is for you
Pick Spokenly if
- Fits if you want unlimited dictation that works with no connection
- Works for people who already pay for OpenAI, Deepgram or Groq keys and want to use them for dictation
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on Android, because there's only a waitlist
- Not for you if you want meeting recording on Windows or Linux, as that's a Mac feature
- Pricey if you pay month to month just for clean-up, at $15 when your own LLM key would do it
- Watch out: without Pro, cloud models need your own API keys and the provider bills you for usage
- Watch out: the MCP server ships only in the macOS sideload build, and Team pricing needs at least 2 seats and is still worked out from the old Pro prices
Pick Whisper Notes if
- Fits if you want offline transcription on an iPhone, iPad or Mac for a one-off price
- Works for people on a Mac who want Fn-key voice typing
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows or Android, as the vendor says none is planned
- Not for you if you have an older phone: the iPhone app needs iPhone 12 or later on iOS 18
- Tight if you dictate a lot on the free Mac app: 5,000 words a week
- Watch out: the $7.99 App Store app and the $14 Mac licence are separate purchases
- Not for you if you want voice typing on iPhone, as it's in the Mac website app only
How we grade them
| 3.0GPASpokenlyVery good | 2.8GPAWhisper NotesGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe dictation itself is free, and Local+ adds sync and recording styles for $29 once. But Pro, for managed cloud models, is now $12 a month billed yearly ($144), or $15 month to month, right at the top of this category, and what it buys is mostly the convenience of not wiring up API keys. | A$7.99 once on the App Store and $14 once for the Mac licence, each under a year of the category's middle subscription ($8.49 a month). |
| Free plan and trial | AThe on-device Whisper and Parakeet models are free with no word caps, no time limit and no account. Plugging in your own provider keys costs nothing from Spokenly either. You could stay free for good. | BThe Mac app from the website is free for 5,000 words a week. The iPhone app is a paid purchase. |
| Features | BHold a shortcut and it types at the cursor in 100+ languages, with Modes and AI Instructions fixing grammar to suit the app, and Mobile Dictation sends speech from an iPhone or Apple Watch to the computer. The core job is covered; the meeting recorder, Agentic Actions and MCP server are Mac-only extras. | COffline transcription, file and meeting import, exports, on-device summaries and Shortcuts, but voice typing and the assistant belong to the website Mac app only. |
| Ease of use | BNo App Store rating on record for it, but the local route needs no account at all: install, hold the shortcut, talk. Cloud without Pro means sorting out your own API keys first. | BNo store rating on record. An app you install and use, with nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BMac, Windows, Linux and iPhone, where it works through a custom keyboard, plus keys for OpenAI, Deepgram, Groq and Ollama. Computer and phone, but no web app and no Android, only a waitlist. | CApple only: iPhone, iPad and Mac. The vendor says no Windows or Android version is planned. |
| Best for | free offline dictation, with cloud if you want it | offline transcription and Mac voice typing |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Spokenly and Whisper Notes. How we grade
Where they differ
- Whisper Notes can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Whisper Notes also covers meeting notes.
At a glance
| Spokenly | Whisper Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $29 one-time (Local+); Pro is $12 per month, billed yearly at $144 ($15 billed monthly) | $7.99 one-time on the App Store; Mac app from the website $14 one-time |
| Free plan | On-device Whisper and Parakeet models are free with no word caps, time limit or account. Connecting your own provider API keys is also free of Spokenly charges. | Mac app from the website: Fn voice typing and Whisper Large V3 Turbo, free for 5,000 words a week. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Vadim Ahmerov | Whisper Notes |
| Price read from | spokenly.app | whispernotes.app |
| Checked | Nov 9, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Spokenly
- Without Pro, cloud models need your own provider API keys, and the provider bills you for usage.
- Meeting recording, Agentic Actions and the MCP server are Mac features; the MCP server ships only in the macOS sideload build.
- There is no Android app; the site offers a waitlist.
- The Team price needs at least 2 seats, and the team page still works it out from the old $9.99 and $99.99 Pro prices.
Whisper Notes
- Apple devices only: the vendor says there is no Windows or Android version and none is planned.
- The iPhone app needs iPhone 12 or later on iOS 18; the Mac website app needs Apple silicon.
- Voice typing and the AI assistant belong to the Mac app from the website, not the App Store build.
- The $7.99 App Store price and the $14 Mac website license are separate purchases.
Key features
Spokenly
- Dictation in any app
- Hold a shortcut, speak and release, and the text is typed at the cursor, in 100+ languages. On iPhone it works through a custom keyboard, and Mobile Dictation sends speech from an iPhone or Apple Watch to the computer.
- Free local models
- Whisper and Parakeet models run on the device at no cost and with no usage limits. Local Only Mode blocks network requests so audio stays on the machine.
- Cloud models, your keys or Pro
- Use cloud engines by connecting your own keys from providers such as OpenAI, Deepgram and Groq, or subscribe to Pro for managed models like GPT-4o Transcribe, Deepgram Nova 3 and Soniox.
- AI Instructions and modes
- Modes with AI Instructions fix grammar, remove filler words and format text for the app in use. Pro hosts this processing; otherwise it runs on your own LLM key or Apple Intelligence.
- Meeting recording on Mac
- Records the microphone and system audio without a bot joining the call, saves the recording to History, and transcribes it afterward with a local or cloud model.
- Voice input for coding agents
- The macOS sideload build includes an MCP server so Claude Code, Codex and Cursor can ask for spoken answers, plus Agentic Actions for voice-controlled Mac automation.
Whisper Notes
- Fully offline transcription
- Recordings and transcripts are processed on the device with Whisper and Parakeet models, and the vendor says they never leave it.
- Fn voice typing on Mac
- Hold Fn in any app, speak and release; the text appears. This comes with the Mac app from the vendor's website.
- Import files and meetings
- Transcribes imported audio and video and, on Mac, records Zoom, Teams and Google Meet calls, with on-device speaker labels.
- Export options
- Exports text with timestamps, SRT subtitles or Markdown; Mac also exports VTT.
- On-device summaries
- The Mac website app can summarize a transcript and answer questions about it using a downloaded local model; iPhone uses Apple Intelligence on supported devices.
- Shortcuts actions
- iPhone exposes actions in the Shortcuts app to start or stop a recording and transcribe a file.
Plans
Spokenly
Local Models$0
Unlimited offline dictation with on-device Whisper and Parakeet models. No account needed.
Your API Keys$0
All local features plus cloud and real-time transcription through your own OpenAI, Deepgram, Groq or other keys. The provider bills usage.
Local+$29
one-time
Local models or your own keys, plus Notch and Capsule recording styles, settings sync across devices and priority support. No cloud models or hosted AI.
Pro$12
per month, billed yearly ($144), or $15 billed monthly
Everything in Local+ plus managed high-accuracy cloud models and hosted AI text cleanup, with no API keys to set up.
Team$6.99
per seat / month, or $69.99 per seat / year
Full Pro for each member on one subscription, 2-seat minimum. The team page still prices seats as 30% off $9.99 and $99.99, the old Pro prices.
Whisper Notes
iPhone & iPad$7.99
one-time, App Store purchase
Unlimited transcriptions, 100+ languages and free updates; also covers the Mac App Store build.
Mac (website) Free$0
for 5,000 words a week
Mac app from the website with Fn voice typing and Whisper Large V3 Turbo, capped at 5,000 words a week.
Mac (website) license$14
one-time
Removes the weekly word limit on the Mac app from the website.
Ways to pay less
Spokenly
- Annual discount
Save 20% with yearly billing
Pro costs $12 a month billed yearly ($144) against $15 billed monthly, which the pricing page labels Save 20%.
- Education
50% off Pro for students
Verified students get 50% off Pro by signing in with an academic email address and contacting support to claim it.
- Other savings
30% off Pro for teams of 2 or more
Team seats cost $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year each, 30% below the individual Pro price for the life of the subscription. The minimum is 2 seats.
- Lifetime license
Local+ one-time purchase
Local+ is a single $29 payment that adds recording styles, settings sync and priority support for local models and your own API keys. Cloud models and hosted AI stay in Pro.
Whisper Notes
- Lifetime license
One-time purchase, no subscription
The vendor sells the iPhone app for $7.99 once and the website Mac app for $14 once, with updates included.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Spokenly or Whisper Notes?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Spokenly starts at $29 one-time (Local+); Pro is $12 per month, billed yearly at $144 ($15 billed monthly), and Whisper Notes starts at $7.99 one-time on the App Store; Mac app from the website $14 one-time.
Which has a free plan, Spokenly or Whisper Notes?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Spokenly and Whisper Notes have a free plan.
Which platforms do Spokenly and Whisper Notes run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Spokenly lists Windows and Linux apps. Both list macOS and iOS apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.